Corks

Why Corks are Important for Wine

Their role is to seal and preserve the wine until it is opened and enjoyed. Before speaking about the cork debate, I will briefly describe how corks are inserted during the winemaking process.

Inserting Corks

After the bottles have been sterilized and the oxygen is completely removed, they are filled with wine to a particular level. At this point, it is time for inserting corks. This can be done either by machine or by hand. Minimizing oxidation and the amount of space between the cork and the wine is paramount during this process.

Cork Debate

Natural cork has historically been used to seal wine. However, several recent studies have called this material’s reliability into question, and the cork debate is now on. Cork stands for tradition and it is highly unlikely that it will ever be entirely phased out. But three other options are challenging natural cork’s dominance: synthetic corks, screw caps, and hybrid corks.